Dark Secret
by Sunsetslight
Summary: What happens when a rich man only gives birth to a daughter in a time when women had no social status? He conceals her gender of course!What happens when said man loses his money on a gamble? The investor takes everything even his daughter to pay his debt
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The water felt like heaven. She was so hot, so tired, so dirty. Removing her clothes down to her underwear and slipping into the water had been a great idea. She eased her head below the surface one last time, and then with a regretful sigh, headed toward the river bank. She stopped in mid stride when she spotted him.

He was just sitting there, leaning back against the trunk of a big oak tree, watching her. Her gaze shifted to his side, where her clothes still waited in a pile. His own gaze had dropped. That's when she realized he'd spotted her, and he was enjoying the view. She dropped down in the water, caught between fear and anger. "This is private property. My private property."

"Sure is." He grinned. His words having nothing to do with her land, as a smirk quirked his dark features and he said, "Or _was_..."

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There's something to think about for now! Read and Review. I know super short there will be more to come soon.


	2. Dilema in a Dark Room

**Dilema**

**Authors Note:** Please bear with me. This chapter might be slightly confusing and boring but its necessary to the plot line. This is where the actual transaction occurs between Ryoji "Ranka" and well you'll see. Oh and by the way, and I'll find a way to actually write this in the story, but no one's supposed to know that Ranka's son (guess who that is),Haruhi, is actually a girl.

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The room was dimly lit, with only the iridescent candlelight to see by. The shadows cast by the men at the sitting table seemed to represent the ominous mood created by the subject being discussed. Outside was no better, for a hazy drizzle permitted no sunshine to enter through the large stain glass windows of the extravagant room. Time seemed to stand still as not even the clicking of horse-drawn carriages rattling over the cobblestone roads disturbed the streets that afternoon.

"I presume you have the money Lord Fujioka." The sneering comment came from a man in his middle ages sitting opposite the lord of the manner. It was a statement not a question, and they both knew the answer the this question-statement before it was voiced.

Clearing his throat Fujioka replied, "I most certainly do." This merited a slight shock from the middle aged banker, but did not completely deter him from feeling like he somehow had the upper hand. He was not wrong in his presumption. For at that moment Fujioka was frantically thinking of ways to back his bold statement.

_If I've calculated correctly by selling the mansion and raiding my "son's" educational funds I can pay the loan back. _These thoughts did not account for the increase in interest on his account from his more recent risky venture. He'd placed all his money, including some he didn't own, on a merchant ship that had, as of last night, been declared missing. Just as the ship and its crew had been tossed the roaring seas of fate, so had Fujioka's fortune.

"I'm waiting," the banker impatiently drummed his fingers against the table, "Just how do you plan to pay me back? Your fortune sank, did it not?" He knew, Fujioka was not surprised. Everybody would know of his misfortune by now. All except his "son" that was.

"Otori, my friend, I begging you to give me one more day and then I'll have your money," he paused gauging the banker's response before adding, "I'll sell my house and everything else valuable. That should be enough, should it not?" He was sweating from the pressure now, but managed to extend his hand out, hoping beyond all that was reasonable that the banker would throw him a bone here.

A laugh, it started out as a low chuckle and soon reverberated off all the walls. Glad that he'd sent his "son", and only child, out riding earlier, Fujioka dropped his hand in defeat. "You want me to go on_ your_ word. How has that served me before? You'll have another hair-brain scheme by tomorrow, I know you. No, that's right, I want the payment in my hands now. No more of this cat and mouse business." He smiled obviously saving some delicious detail for the precise moment, like a chess master waiting for the coup de ta where he would kill the king with his least important piece, the pawn.

"I have nothing more to offer to you, obviously I am a ruined man. If its public humiliation you wish on me, then I have no doubt you'll extract it. For I cannot find that you need anything more than my dignity. What is a man without his name?" Fujioka felt slightly relieved. He reclined in his seat and thought about how all the pressures of high society were off of his shoulders. How he could now start a humble life and truly do justice to the memory of his late wife. He was so into thinking of the positives he barley noticed that the banker had retrieved something from his bag and was sliding it across the table to him.

_I can finally let my "son" have the normal life "she" has been born to... _his chain of thoughts were cut off by a small cough from Otori. He stared down at the papers and suddenly his eyes could not focus. He stiffened and placed his hands on the table as support. The letters on the page began to run together in incomprehensible patterns. Before him was a fate worse than humiliation and poverty. These paper's were not unlike hell's gate themselves.

"What does this mean?" Fujioka finally managed to sputter out angrily. A grin not unlike the cheshire cat himself formed upon the banker's face from where he now leaned casually against the chair.

"I think we both know what this means," he said nonchalantly, producing a pen from his pocket, " And now I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, that it is your obligatory duty to sign these documents."

Shaking Fujioka took the pen, and staring for a final time at the picture of his beautiful young _daughter_ resting upon the deed to his house, that had been used as collateral, signed the contract. He dropped the pen as the final letter was formed, collapsing into his chair and feeling ten times his age, knowing that he'd signed away and doomed the one thing he'd tried so hard to protect.

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Who was he! she wondered, her back now to the large rock at the edge of the pond, her only shield against _his_ onyx eyes. What was he doing on her land, or maybe the better question was what he'd meant with _was_. Did he know something that she didn't. Then it dawned on her, he'd seen. Her fear had nothing to do with the typical losing her innocent image, no it was much worse. She was mortified that he knew her secret.

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I know crappy place to stop. Not even a great cliff-hanger. Next chapter should be better. Do you guys want me to incorporate Tamaki in the story or not? He could be like her best friend that comes right in the nick of time to stop something from happening, or something of that nature. Well whatever, if you have some ideas or criticism feel free to shout it out! Read and Review.

P.S. And for those of you who are confused this is set in a less modern time. The time with horse-drawn carriages and western style dresses and all that jazz. In case you were wondering.


	3. Help Wanted

I don't really have a lot of time to write so I'm thinking on giving this story away. I'm giving myself another week to try and update. So if you're interested in writing it please let me know by posting your intent in a the review area so that I have some options.


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